Fort Huachuca History

Established to protect settlers and travel routes and to block hostile Apache Indian escape routes into Mexico. The site was selected because of the strategic location, sheltering hills and good water.

The Apache threat was ended with the surrender of Geronimo in 1886. Fort Huachuca was kept open because of its strategic border position. The base was home to the "Buffalo Soldiers" of the 10th U.S. Cavalry for twenty years. They were a part of the 1916 Pershing expedition into Mexico.

The fort expanded to over 70,000 Acres during World War II and had quarters for 1,251 Officers and 24,437 Enlisted personnel. Overall troop strength reached 30,000 at the post. After the war ended the post was had no significant mission and the fort was declared surplus and transferred to the State of Arizona. Reactivated during the Korean War by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and in 1954 became the Signal Corps and the Electronics Proving Ground (EPG). In 1967, Fort Huachuca became the home of the U.S. Army Strategic Communications Command which has evolved into the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command (NETCOM)/9th Army Signal Command. In 1971 the post became the home of the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School.